Whole-Home Rewire - Standard Operating Procedure

Purpose

Define the standard operating procedure for scoping, quoting, sequencing, and delivering a whole-home rewire project. Whole-home rewires are the largest single residential electrical scope a shop will sell - high revenue, long timeline, high coordination cost. They also have the highest risk of mid-job scope drift, customer disputes, and margin erosion. A disciplined SOP turns the scope into a repeatable, profitable line.

Scope

Applies to:

• Homes with knob-and-tube (pre-1950 typical)
• Homes with single-strand aluminum branch circuits where pigtail remediation is not acceptable to the insurer
• Homes with 60 A or 100 A service that cannot support modern loads and need both service-equipment and branch-circuit replacement
• Substantial-remodel projects where the AHJ requires bringing existing branch circuits to current code
• Insurance-driven scope where the carrier mandates full replacement

Excludes:

• Partial rewires of a single floor or addition
• Service-only upgrades (panel + service entrance only, branch circuits remain)
• Knob-and-tube remediation by isolation (where one circuit is replaced while others remain in service)

Responsibilities

• Lead estimator scopes the project, presents the quote, owns the change-order process
• Project lead electrician runs the work onsite, calls in subs, coordinates with the customer day-to-day
• Helper / apprentice executes pulls, opens walls, installs devices
• Office handles permits, inspector scheduling, customer invoicing
• GC or homeowner owns drywall repair (electricians cut access; the homeowner or a GC patches)

Procedure

Phase 1: Pre-scope walk (1-2 hours, free OR billed against project)

1. Open the panel, photograph the service equipment, document the make / model / amperage of the existing service
2. Open at least one device per room and identify the conductor type - knob-and-tube, NM cable, BX, aluminum branch
3. Measure all rooms, sketch a floor plan, count outlets, switches, fixtures, and major appliances
4. Identify all subpanels, junction boxes, abandoned circuits
5. Photograph the attic and crawlspace - note insulation type (knob-and-tube and blown insulation cannot coexist; that's a separate scope)
6. Identify the path of least disruption - soffit chases, closet stacks, basement ceiling runs
7. Discuss the customer's lifestyle: home offices, EV charger, future solar, hot tub, kitchen remodel

Phase 2: Quote and contract (1-2 weeks)

1. Produce a written scope of work itemizing:

• Service equipment replacement (panel size, location, meter base)
• Number of new circuits
• Devices installed (count by type - receptacle, switch, dimmer, GFCI, AFCI, etc.)
• Fixture allowance OR fixture exclusion
• Drywall scope - explicitly OWNED BY whom
• Access cuts - size and number
• Inspections - rough-in and final

1. Define payment schedule - common pattern is 25 percent at signing, 25 percent at rough-in approval, 25 percent at trim, 25 percent at final inspection passed
2. Include a written change-order process - every scope addition gets a signed change order BEFORE work
3. Define exclusions - no patch and paint, no fixture sales beyond allowance, no AV / network low-voltage unless specifically scoped
4. Include a temporary-power plan - homeowner needs at least a few working circuits during the work

Phase 3: Permits and pre-work (1-3 weeks)

1. Pull the electrical permit naming the licensed contractor
2. Schedule rough-in inspection target date
3. Schedule final inspection target date
4. Notify the utility of any service-equipment changes; arrange for service disconnect / reconnect
5. Customer prepares the home - clear access to every wall, attic, and crawlspace; pet plan; alternative living arrangement if appropriate
6. Material take-off and order - long-lead items (panel, smart breakers, specialty fixtures) ordered first

Phase 4: Demo and rough-in (1-3 weeks depending on size)

1. Disconnect old service; install new service equipment first (gives the home modern grounding immediately)
2. Open ceilings and walls per the access plan - minimum cuts, smart routing
3. Pull all new circuits per the plan; install device boxes
4. Stub fixture locations and label
5. Install rough smoke alarms, hardwired interconnected per IRC R314
6. Rough-in inspection scheduled when 100 percent complete
7. Document every covered run with photos before drywall closes - invaluable when the customer or a future tech needs to know what's behind a wall

Phase 5: Trim and finish (1-2 weeks)

1. After drywall is patched and primed, install all devices, plates, and fixtures
2. Final smoke and CO alarm install
3. Panel labeling - every circuit identified by location
4. Service the door and trim devices in the kitchen, bath, laundry
5. Final inspection scheduled

Phase 6: Final inspection and walkthrough

1. Final inspection passed; certificate of occupancy retained
2. Customer walkthrough with the lead electrician - every switch and outlet operated together
3. Hand off panel directory, photographs of covered work, warranty documentation
4. Final payment collected
5. Customer survey / review request sent

Acceptance criteria

• Permit pulled and final inspection passed
• All circuits operate as documented in the panel directory
• All AFCI and GFCI devices test functional with TEST and RESET
• All smoke and CO alarms interconnect within 10 seconds of one alarm trigger
• No exposed conductor or unmarked junction box
• Customer received documentation packet: photos of covered work, panel directory, warranty certificate, inspection sign-off

Common pitfalls

• Quoting without a walk-through - undiscovered knob-and-tube in the attic destroys the margin on day three
• Vague drywall scope - electricians get blamed for the painter's missed seam unless the contract is explicit
• Skipping the temporary-power plan - homeowner with no working outlets day five of a two-week job becomes an angry homeowner
• No photo documentation of covered work - five years from now when the customer remodels, no one can find the runs
• Mid-job scope additions without change orders - every "while you're at it, can you also..." needs paper before tools
• Underestimating helper hours - pulls take longer in occupied homes than in new construction because the helper is also moving the customer's belongings

What to do when scope drifts mid-job

References

• NEC 2023 (or the cycle adopted by the AHJ)
• IRC R314 (smoke alarm requirements during remodel)
• IRC R315 (CO alarm requirements during remodel)
• NEC 310 - Conductor sizing for service and branch
• NEC 408 - Switchboards and Panelboards
• State electrical contractor license rules
• Manuall internal: Service Panel Upgrade SOP, Knob-and-Tube Reference, Aluminum Wiring Remediation Reference